North Carolina’s Environmental Enhancement Program requested submission of proposals to provide full delivery of both riverine wetlands and stream restoration credits within a subwatershed of the Tar-Pamlico River. Working with affiliate company Albemarle Restorations, LLC, as well as its joint venture partner, Woods Water and Wildlife, the project team identified a potnetial site with excellent restoration opportunities and developed conceptual restoration plans for the subject property. Existing conditions within the project area consisted of ditched agricultural crop land in an area adjacent to high quality cypress dominated swamp draining to Clark Mill Creek located on the coastal plain of North Carolina. The drainage ditches on the site showed evidence degradation from past agricultural activities, evidence of a high water mark, and frequently flooded the existing farm fields impairing the landowner’s ability produce ample crop yields. Ecotone, Inc. in cooperation with its sister company Albemarle Restorations LLC purchased an easement on 25 acres of marginal farmland from the landowner for the purpose of restoring a headwater “swamp run” system and associated riverine wetlands through the North Carolina Ecological Enhancement Program.

The project team was awarded a full delivery contract from the state of North Carolina. Ecotone prepared designs providing 20 acres of riverine wetlands and 2,200 linear feet of headwater “swamp run” stream restoration. The design called for filling the existing drainage ditches on-site with exception to the main drainage ditch, a tributary to Clark Mill Creek, which was restored into the main channel of the swamp run. The design incorporated grading to shape the broad channel of the swamp run and minimal grading adjacent to the swamp run to create riverine wetlands. The goal of the proposed restoration plan is to restore a continuous headwater swamp run/riverine wetland system such as those typically found in the middle to upper reaches of first or zero order tributary systems. The intended result of the design is to completely inundate the restoration site during flood events, maintain inundation in the swamp runs, and providing saturated conditions in the riverine wetlands. In order to add hydrologic retention time to the restoration microtopography is used in the wetland areas which would add hydrologic retention time to inundation from flood events. A planting plan was prepared providing for reforestation of the restored swamp run and wetlands to bottomland hardwood and riparian plant communities.

The project was designed, permitted, constructed, and planted during the period between February 2007 and January 2008. The project resulted in the restoration of 20 acres of riparian forested wetlands and 2,200 linear feet of headwater stream restoration. The restored swamp run and wetlands have proven to persistent, robust hydrology and provide significant habitat for a variety of wildlife, including breeding areas for numerous amphibian species. The end result of the project provided a significant financial return for the landowner on marginally productive farmland, provides vital swamp run and wetland restoration and wildlife habitat, and restored over 2,000 linear feet of impaired stream.